Bama knows better

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Tailback Trent Richardson isn’t among those assuming No. 2 Alabama will just roll over its biggest rival on the way to a possible national title shot.

He knows Auburn has heard such talk, too.

The Crimson Tide is a three-touchdown favorite going into today’s meeting at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the defending champion Tigers have barely put up a fight against their last few highly ranked opponents.

“It’s going to make them more dangerous because everyone counted them out,” he said. “You can’t look at them like we’re going to whip them, because they don’t have anything to lose. They’re going out there throwing every punch they can.”

This is clearly not the same Auburn team that could be losing on all the scorecards and suddenly start slamming home roundhouses last season. There’s no Cam Newton to dig the Tigers out of a 24-point hole as he did in the 2010 Iron Bowl. No Nick Fairley to smash opposing ballcarriers and quarterbacks.

No chance? Probably not if they let the Tide score the game’s first 24 points again.

They couldn’t muster much of a challenge at Georgia, LSU and Arkansas — losing those games collectively by a whopping 111 points. Alabama beat the Razorbacks 38-14, the Tigers lost to them by the same score.

However, another rebuilding Auburn team nearly upset Alabama’s national championship hopes two years ago. Last year, the Tide came even closer to derailing Newton & Co.

An Alabama win would potentially secure a spot in New Orleans to play for the national title. LSU ended the Tide’s SEC championship hopes with yesterday’s 41-17 win over No. 3 Arkansas, which means if ’Bama wins, it could bypass No. 13 Georgia and head directly to the BCS championship game.

Oddsmakers aren’t giving the Tigers much chance to change those travel plans, and defensive end Corey Lemonier is OK with that.

“That’s how it goes,” Lemonier said. “You’ve just got to play and just prove everybody wrong.”

MILESTONE IN REACH: Clemson and South Carolina are each ready to make history — and they can’t think of a better place to do it than their season-ending rivalry game.

For all the injuries, dismissals, surprises and disappointments, the No. 18 Tigers (9-2) and No. 14 Gamecocks (9-2) have the chance for 10 victories — something both programs have sought for decades.

South Carolina has won two in a row and enters with momentum, despite losing offensive playmakers in quarterback Stephen Garcia and tailback Marcus Lattimore. Garcia was kicked off the team in October after returning from five previous suspensions. Lattimore tore a knee ligament and had surgery last week.

Clemson comes off a stunning 37-13 loss at North Carolina State, its second in three games since starting 8-0.

PAT ON THE BACK: With No. 15 Wisconsin set to take on No. 20 Penn State and a spot in the Big Ten title game on the line, Badgers players have a difficult time imagining how they’d react if they were caught in the middle of a scandal on the scale of the one unfolding at Penn State.

And they’re impressed with the way Nittany Lions players have handled it.

Badgers running back Montee Ball said his heart goes out to the victims and figures the players just want to tune out distractions and go play football. Ball adds, “and they’re doing a good job at it.”